Name:	Greg Mehojah
Age:	34
Gender:	Male
Height:	6' 1" (1.85 m)
Weight:	210 lb (95 kg)
Head Circ.:	23 inches (23 cm)
Email:	gmehojah3@comcast.net
City, State, Country:	Albuquerque, New Mexico

Backpacking Background:

I began backpacking this year to reintroduce myself to the outdoors, and introduce my 10 year old son to backpacking. My trips are typically 1-2 nights with my son and 2 nights when I solo. My first season has taken me through desert terrain and high-altitude meadowlands throughout New Mexico, as well as day hikes of the foothills and ridgeline trails of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque. I tend to carry most of the gear when I hike with my son, so I am not a lightweight hiker, but plan on moving that direction as my son gets older.

Product Information:

Product Name:	Prism Cap
Style Number:	82040
Manufacturer:	Outdoor Research
Year of Manufacture:	2005
URL:	http://outdoorresearch.com
Listed Weight:	2.6 oz/.74 g (for size L/XL)
Weight as Delivered:	2.4 oz (68 g) (for size L/XL)
Size Tested:	Large/Extra Large
Color Tested:	Mojo Blue
Available Sizes:	Small/Medium & Large/Extra Large
Available Colors:	Black, Mojo Blue, Deep Green
MSRP:	$35.00 US

Product Description (from the Manufacturer's website):

The Outdoor Research Prism cap is a standard baseball style hat constructed with Gore-tex fabric, which provides waterproof and breathable protection in backcountry whiteouts. The tricot lining manages moisture when you're making a steep ascent, and offers warmth as you make your turns. A shaped, plastic-stiffened bill deflects winter glare and channels precipitation away from your face, while the tuck-away, tricot-lined earflaps provide warmth when needed. The external hook and loop cinch adjustment keeps the Prism firmly seated in all conditions.

My description of the Outdoor Research Prism Cap can be found in my Initial Report.

Field Testing:

Initial Thoughts:

Because the Prism Cap was delivered to me near the end of the winter season, my use of the cap has been limited to spring and early summer use. In New Mexico, the spring weather arrives early, and the summer heat is always right behind. However, I have had an opportunity to wear the Prism Cap in a variety of conditions, which New Mexico springs always provide. Generally, I have worn the Prism Cap as my everyday hat until just recently, when the weather became too warm. When I first put on the Prism Cap it felt too tight for my head. However, after having worn the hat for two months, it appears to have stretched out a little bit and is now very comfortable to wear. I have not yet washed the Cap primarily because I don't know how to. This is my first GoreTex product and it came with no washing instructions. I plan on figuring out how to wash the Cap prior to completing the Long Term Report.

Backpacking/Camping/Day Hiking Test Conditions:

I have been on two camping trips with the OR Prism Cap. My 10 year old son and I attempted another backpacking trip to the San Pedro Park wilderness for an overnight, but at 10,000 feet (3,048 m) elevation, we found the wilderness area to still be completely covered in snow, and all water sources frozen solid. We sadly turned back for the car but not until after we played in the snow for a few hours. I will discuss this hike in more detail below.

My first opportunity to test the OR Prism Cap in backpacking conditions was my annual March trip to Bandelier National Monument. This was a three day trip in mid March involving a 25 mile (40.25 km) loop of the outter edges of the Monument. The climate zones are a rollercoaster ride of lush canyons crammed with ponderosa pines and flowing streams to dry, high-mesa desert landscapes intersperesed with juniper and scrub brush. The elevation ranges from 5,700 to 6,200 feet (1,737 to 1,890 m)above sea level and the average daytime temperatures during my trip were 50-65 F (10-18.3 C) during the day and below freezing at night. My pack weighed about 29 pounds (13.15 kg) during the entire trip (including food, fuel and water), except when we watered up for our last night of dry camping. I wore the OR Prism Cap during the entire trip, both day and night, though I did switch to my warmer fleece balaclava when sleeping.

OR Prism Cap in Bandelier National Monument

I found the Prism Cap to be a great hat to wear when backpacking. My hiking buddy and I covered about 9 miles (14.49 km) per day, and though we were carrying relatively light packs, we experienced strenuous climbs out of canyons during all three days. During rest breaks and after each strenuous climb out of a canyon, I removed my Prism Cap to inspect the breathability of the interior. I found the tricot lining to be soaked with sweat, which was a bit dissapointing given that the hat was advertised as being able to manage moisture. However, my head was never cold even while the hat's interior was wet, and given that I live in a very arrid climate, the hat did dry in a relatively short period of time. I found the Cap to be very warm generally, and though I was sweating at times, my head never felt overly hot. Even though I brought a standard hiking hat with me I never took it out of my pack preferring to wear the Prism Cap instead. On our last night in Bandelier, we climbed out of a wash on the banks of the Rio Grande up to a finger mesa. The winds were howling at an estimated 30+ MPH (48.30 km) with gusts even higher. At times it sounded like a freight train was bearing down on us as the winds whipped through the juniper bushes. The temperatures dropped as we made camp, so I dropped the earflaps to keep warmer. The earflaps fit tightly around my ears (covering them completely), and did not exhibit any tendency to move or flap even in high winds. This may be due to the close fit of the Cap to my head. I did not ever feel like the Prism Cap was going to fly off my head even as I watched the sun set directly into the wind on the edge of our mesa campsite. I also did not find that I needed to tighten down the rear head strap to keep the hat on my head. The next morning I woke to light falling snow which we experienced during most of our hike out. The snow increased and at times was wind driven into the left side of my head. I dropped the left earflap and found the cap to keep me comfortably warm. The snow melted on my head and beaded up without soaking through to the tricot lining.

I also wore the cap while attempting to hike into the San Pedro Parks Wilderness with my son. The temperatures during this trip were about 35-45 F (1.67-7.22 C)while we hiked in to what we thought would be our final destination, only to find the entire area knee-deep in snow and all water sources frozen solid. Because I did not have cold weather gear, my son and I decided to cancel our camping plans, but spent a couple hours playing in the snow and eating lunch on large granite rocks to warm ourselves. Again, I found the Prism Cap to be very warm and comfortable to wear in these conditions. The Prism Cap bill does an excellent job of deflecting well-placed snow balls thrown by a 10 year old to boot! As with the Bandelier trip, I did find that the hat retained a great deal of moisture accumulated during strenuous activity, but did not ever result in a clammy or cold head.

The Prism Cap was put to use again during an overnight car camping trip with my son to the Apache Kid Wilderness in southern New Mexico. The daytime temperatures were between 65-75 F (18.33-23.89 C) during the day and near freezing at night. I wore the Prism Cap during this entire trip and found it to be a bit warm in the upper range of temperatures experienced. At one point while hiking with my son up a particularly strenuous trail, I finally had to remove the Cap and stow it on my pack, though I put it back on when we took a lunch break and there was a slight breeze.

I wore the Prism Cap during each of my day hikes until recently when the weather began to really warm up. My experiences on these day hikes with the Prism Cap mirrored those during my backpacking and camping trips. Generally I never found the Prism Cap uncomfortable to wear during long hikes, nor did the cap (even when earflaps were deployed) interefere with my wearing sunglasses. I found that the Prism Cap is most comfortable to me only up to about 65 F (18.33 C), but even then it can be a bit too warm.

Durability:

I found the Prism Cap to be very durable and even though I snagged it on brush and downfall on the trails, it has never ripped, pulled or torn. In fact, with the exception of some dirt and light staining, the Cap looks brand new. I have not yet washed the Prism Cap because it did not come with any washing or care instructions, and this is my first GoreTex product. I am hesistant to put it in the washing machine for fear of damaging it due to my lack of knowlege. The earflaps have some dirt and hair/skin oil marks on them where the flaps were tucked up into the hat when worn. There are a few sweat stains and some dirt marks on the body of the Cap, but nothing that cannot be remedied by a proper washing.

I am very pleased with the performance of the Prism Cap even though it generally appears to collect moisture during strenuous activity. I have found the cap to keep my head warm without feeling clammy or wet, and though I have only experienced limited precipitation during this phase of the test, the cap has performed well. My only two concerns are the moisture management of the hat, and the initially tight fit that I experienced. Nonetheless, I look forward to testing the Prism Cap in the last vestiges of cool weather in late June when I tackle the 13,000 foot (3,962 m) elevation of the Latir Peaks Wilderness and the Pecos Wilderness Amphiteatre located in northern New Mexico.

Thank you to both Backpackgeartest.ort and Outdoor Research for allowing me to participate in testing the Prism Cap.

Read more reviews of Outdoor Research gear
Read more gear reviews by Greg Mehojah

Field Report

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